one thing I don't get is why the "shkufim" of Shas campaign is so good and effective.

I actually heard a short discussion on the radio this morning claiming that the shkufim campaign is not so effective, and when they have focsed on it, their polling numbers went down, and when they put that on the backburner and focused on "Rav Ovadia", their numbers go back up.

That may be true, but in general the shkufim campaign has been considered a good and fairly effective campaign. If it is not effective in bringing in the voters (which we do not really know at this point), it at least has been effective in painting Shas as the party that is most considered about the lower-socio-economic slice of the population.

So much so that the "Black Panthers" have reportedly stopped supporting Moshe Kahlon and have switched their support to Shas.

The Black Panthers is a protest group that was founded in 1971. Giving their support to Aryeh Deri is a big boost for Shas, and will be a big hit for Kahlon.

Charlie Biton, head of the Black Panthers, said that while they all initially wanted to support Kahlon, they now realize that only Deri will have the ability to effect change.

What I do not get is why they believe so. I do not know if Kahlon will be able to get anything done. His party is new, untested, and nobody knows how effective or successful they will be. Aryeh Deri, though, has one of the poorest records of MKs regarding issues of social welfare (if I remember correctly, only Eli Yishai came in lower than him). In the 30 years of the existence of Shas, with Shas always claiming to represent that sector of society, the problem is so acute that why does anyone think that Shas or Deri will now have the power and ability to do what they have not done in 30 years?

What am I missing?